DC Checker, Editor, Grib Loader and more. Now with BBQ Rescue.

The next installment has arrived! A series of significant enhancements including a graphical DC checker.

Major features now include

1. Automatic downloading of the grib file when it becomes available.
2. DC editor to manage DC series.
3. Graphical DC checker to check DC series against the map tiles, allowing for performance loss.
4. Position data written to a csv file, to one second of accuracy.
5. Logging of boat data to a csv file for later analysis.
6. Automatic creation of the Qt and Expedition detailed polar file for the race.
7. Mayday calls and rescue commands via chat in the event of a BBQ.
8. Generates a Version 1 grib file .
9. Generate a gpx file contain course waypoints and route including the finish line.
10. NMEA server to provide positional and other important data to routing software. Includes AIS class A messages for SOL boats.
11. Sounds a boat horn when you run aground, and are racing.
12. Boat data log as a backup for Hmm SOL log.

The User Manual can be referred to for instructions on how to install, configure and use.

No, you did nothing wrong. It just did not find any previous settings and has set up the Parameters using the program defaults. Simply adjust as necessary and hit OK. It will then save all your settings into autoGribLoader.ini and won’t do it again in the same directory. Obviously, if you delete the file or set up a new directory, you will get the same message again.

Version 2.4.6 fixes DC Checker across date line. I’ve also added a BBQ Horn that will sound when checked if
a. The race has started
b. You have not finished
c. You boat is TWA 0
It will always go off if checked in a Timed Race, if you are TWA 0. Now you can really annoy your family in the middle of the night.

I’ve also added the ability to write the DC Checker trace out as a set of gpx waypoints and route. In the file chooser, specify the extension .gpx, eg tristan.gpx and a gpx file will be created with the route named tristan.

Found another 180 meridian issue with interpolating off the grib for the DC Checker and fixed in 2.4.8. Also fixes the AIS null pointer exception when AIS is trying to interpolate boat speed off the grib as the new Wx is being loaded.

Version 2.4.9 now has gpx support. A set of additional course waypoints specified via a waypoint file or gpx file can be used and will be displayed with the DC Checker as additional course waypoints. Documentation has been updated and corrected in places.

Release Notes Version 2.5.0.
Version 2.5.0 has the following enhancements
1. Select and delete a subset of the DC’s
2. Only DC’s that have changed are updated. A single DC can be edited, and only that one will change
3. Coordinate copy now available in DC Checker. Left or right mouse click will copy those coordinates into the paste buffer in waypoint or SOL format.
4. Toolbar added and buttons removed.
5. DC Checker highlights when TWA is outside optimal range.
6. Course and additional course waypoint markers are now scaled to 10 metres across.
7. Log file can now be loaded as a set of waypoints.
Bug fixes – 2.5.0
1. Finish line correctly positioned.
2. Boat coordinate update time now correct.
3. Fixed map issue when crossing 0 meridian.

Version 2.5.2 is release and has the following enhancements
1. Danger mark has been added to DC’s inside which any rounding has the risk of failure
2. Now warns if DC checking runs out of grib and will generate waypoints up to that point.
3. Log files are now created in waypoint format and can be loaded directly into the graphical checker.
Bug fixes – 2.5.2
1. Finish line was still incorrectly positioned and naming did not match Brainaid. Now fixed.
2. DC “creep” fixed. The wrong boat speed was being used for the recovery calculation.
3. All bearing calculations have been converted to rhumb line calculations, which appear to now match the SOL client.

Version 2.5.3 has the following enhancements
1. Added grib download time to allow for non-standard Wx update times.
2. Changed installation to use one copy of the jar file and environment variables.
3. Will now show which executable is running, if the environment variables are used.
4. UTC Clock added to DC Checker tab.
Bug fixes – 2.5.3
1. Trapped internet outages or network changes and tries to reconnect by getting a new token from the server
2. Improved handling of current boat information during haul back at the start of a race, where the boat has speed but is not moving.
3. Trapped processes trying to access grib information whilst Wx is being refreshed, which would then fail. Should now wait until the Wx refresh is complete.

Version 2.5.4 is released and has the following enhancements
1. Added grib file age filter. Grib files older than this will be deleted.
2. Add boat data table. A back up for Hmm Sol Log.
3. Changed DC Checker waypoint names. Added tws and sog;
4. Added race boundary to DC Checker.
5. Added ability to force re-download of race information and grib files from server.
6. Removes degree character from Expedition DC’s (e.g. 271°)
7. Pre-calculates and stores VMG tables. Will take up to 20 seconds the first time on initialisation.
Bug fixes – 2.5.4
1. Trapped more internet outage and incomplete download problems.
2. Fixed truncation issue with DC’s

I discovered a small bug in this version which has an adverse affect on the server and will cause the application to crash if there are no boats in the AIS list. If you have already downloaded, please re-download and replace the .jar file.

1. Ability to load exported qtVlm detailed routes (gpx format ) as additional course waypoints in the DC Checker
2. Highlights DC’s where performance loss minimisation is possible
3. Current TWA on Current Boat Data tab will highlight when the twa is outside the maximum VMG ranges
4. Boat Data Table will only show boats that have not finished. Fixes the problem with multiple boats showing in timed races
5. Reorganised the window title to allow better identification of race and important data.

Hi Kipper, I’m finding that in the latest update, CD checker isn’t deleting duplicate DCs before sending them to SOL. Is this a bug, a feature, or am I missing a setting somewhere?
Awesome tool by the way